Door fastening means



Feb. 27, 1968. J. E. HALLBERG DOOR FASTENING MEANS Filed April 14, 1966 INVENTOR. 'cfa/w? 5 fia//ber 7 ziw ' fizz United States Patent Ofitice 3,376,877 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,370,877 DOOR FASTENING MEANS John E. Hallberg, Hammond, Ind., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Fiied Apr. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 542,585 Claims. (Cl. 292-285) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door fastening means having one or more locking clips mouned on the closing edge of the door and one or more locking leafs hingedly mounted on the door frame for pivotal-movement into cam locking engagement with the locking clips to provide a low profile door fastening means which resists outward pressure applied against the My present invention relates generally to door fastening means and more particularly to improved low profile, cam action, latch mechanism for the doors of transport vehicles and the like.

Freight containers, transport vehicles and highway trailers usually have an enclosed body which is provided with a framed opening in at least one wall thereof. Conventionally, a door is hinged along one side to the framed opening, and is adapted to be swung into the plane of the wall for closing the Opening. To maintain the door in closed position, it is necessary to employ cooperating locking means between the door and door frame. The usual locking means has not proved entirely satisfactory because it tends to become released or disengaged whenever outward pressure is exerted against the door.

It is an object of my present invention to provide improved door fastening means for securely latching a door within the plane of a frame.

It is another object of my present invention to provide improved door fastening means which effectively resists outward pressure applied against the door to thereby prevent accidental unlocking of the door.

It is another object of my present invention to provide improved door fastening means wherein the companion members are cammed into engagement and the door is thereby forced into the plane of the frame as it is being closed.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide improved door fastening means which exhibits a low profilethat is, an inappreciable projection of hardware.

It is a still further object of my present invention to provide improved door fastening means wherein the operating parts are simple in construction so that they may be economically produced and installed.

Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and using door fastening means in accordance with the principles of my present invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the dawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary and foreshortened eleva tional view of a door frame and door with which the door fastening means of my present invention has been incorporated;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along the line 22 in FIGURE 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral indicates generally a door frame which may be provided in the side or end wall 12 of an enclosed transport vehicle body or freight container, and which defines a door opening. A door 14 which is hingedly mounted along its one vertical edge (not shown) to the door frame 10, is swingable into the plane of the Wall 12 for closing the opennig therein. The door frame 10 is formed with an inner peripheral flange 16 that is arranged to be overlapped by an outer peripheral flange 18 provided on the door 14. The door flange 18 carries a resilient insulating strip 20 (FIGURE 2) that is adapted to abut the frame flange 16 to effect a seal when the door 14 is closed.

The door 14 is adapted to be latched within the door frame 10 by the door fastening means of my present invention which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 22 in FIGURE 1. The door fastening means 22 includes a plurality of vertically spaced hinge plate 24 suitably secured, as by bolts (not shown), to the outer face of the wall 12 adjacent the opening therein.

Pivotally mounted to each hinge plate 24 is a generally J-shaped locking leaf member 26 which, as shown in FIGURE 2, is comprised of a long leg portion 28 and a short oblique leg portion 30 joined by a nose portion 32. The end of each long leg portion 28 is connected by a hinge pin 34 to the adjacent hinge plate 24, while each short leg or free end portion 30 presents a planar hearing surface 36.

A plurality of V-shaped locking clips 38 are mounted along the free edge of the door 14. The one side of each clip 38 presents a planar surface 40 that is oblique to the plane of the door 14. The oblique surfaces 40 are cooperatively engageable by the respective bearing surfaces 36 of the locking leaf members 26.

To provide an over-center cam latch action with the locking clips 33, each locking leaf member 26 is formed with a cam high point where the planar bearing surface 36 merges with the nose portion 32. Thus, the distance A between the hinge axis of the hinge pin 34 and the planar bearing surface portion 36 where merging with the nose portion 32 is greater than the perpendicular distance B between the hinge axis and the plane of the planar bearing surface portion 36.

In order that the locking leaf members 26 may be pivoted conjointly about the common hinge axis of the hinge pins 34, the members 26 are suitably secured, as by welding, to a vertically extending locking bar 42 (FIGURE 1). Movement of the locking bar 42, in turn, is adapted to be effected by an operating handle or bar type lever 44 pivotally mounted to the locking bar 42 as by a bolt 46 The operating handle 44 is arranged to be releasably secured to the outer face of the door 14 by a seal assembly indicated generally at 48. As best shown in FIGURE 3, the seal assembly 48 comprises a seal plate 50 secured to the door -14 by bolts 52 and 54. The seal plate 50 includes a forward projection 56 that is received through a slot 58 formed in the operating handle 44. A lock arm 60, which is pivotally mounted on the seal plate 50 and retained in position by bolt 52, is selectively engageable with the operating handle 44 for retaining the latter against the door 14. Finally, in a conventional manner, an identification tag or seal band (not shown) may be fastened through the aligned openings 62 and 64 in the lock arm 69 and seal plate projection 56.

To unlock the door fastening means 22, the operating handle 44 is first released from the seal assembly 48 and then swung in a horizontal plane toward a forwardly extending position. This movement of the handle 44 causes the locking bar 42 and the locking leaf members 26 to rotate clockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 2, on the common axis of the hinge pins 34. As the locking leaf members 26 are thus rotated, the cam high pointsthat is, the bearing surfaces 36 where merging with the nose positions 32cam outwardly along the oblique surfaces 44). During this camming action, the door 14 moves slightly inwardly of the door frame 14 against the resilient insulating strip 18. When the locking leaf members 26 are fully disengaged from the locking clips 38, the door 14 may be swung outwardly of the door frame 10 to an open position, permitting access through the door frame for loading or unloading of the enclosed body.

To close the door opening, the door 14 is swung inwardly into the general plane of the frame 10. Then the operating handle 44 is pivoted in a horizontal plane toward the door 14 causing the'locking bar 42 and the locking leaf members 26 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 2. While the locking leaf members 26 are thus rotated, the bearing surfaces 36 where merging with the nose portions 32 cam inwardly along the oblique surfaces 49. During this camming action, the door 14 is forced into the plane of the frame slightly inwardly beyond its normal closed position until the cam high points pass over-center to the position shown in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the resilient insulating strip 20 urges the door 14 slightly outwardly to its normal closed position, and the adjacent surfaces 36 and 40 are disposed in full abutting engagement.

The over-center cam latch arrangement of the door fastening means of my present invention prevents clockwise rotation of the locking bar 42 and locking leaf members 26 unless the door 14 is first urged sufliciently inwardly against the insulating strip 20 to permit the cam high points to clear the oblique surfaces 40 and to return over-center. Thus, the door fastening means cannot become unlocked accidentally when outward forces are imposed on the door, for example, as the result of shifting loads within the container body. It will also be noted that when the door is'closed, the locking clips 38 and the substantial portions of the locking leaf members 26 lie within the confines of the wall -12. As a result, a low profile latch arrangement is provided.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be a preferred embodiment of my present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. For use with a Wall having an opening therein and a door swingable into and out of the opening, the combination of at least one locking clip adapted to be secured to the door, said locking clip having a planar surface oblique to the plane of the door, at least one locking leaf member adapted to be hingedly secured to the wall, said locking leaf member being generally I-shaped with the long and short leg portions thereof being joined by a nose portion, the end of said long leg portion being adapted to he secured'on a hinge axis to the wall, and the outer surface of said short leg portion presenting a planar bearing surface portion which is cooperatively engageable with said oblique planar surface of said locking clip to restrain the door from swinging out'of the opening.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said locking clip is generally V-shaped with one side thereof presenting said oblique planar surface.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the distance between said hinge axis and the planar bearing surface portion where merging with said nose portion is greater than the perpendicular distance between said hingeaxis I and the plane of said bearing surface.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said locking References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,171,975 2/1916 Perkins 292-241 1,538,581 5/1925 OConnor 292-241 2,056,270 10/1936 Harbei't 292--28l X 3,099,473 7/1963 Pastua 292218 X 3,147,031 9/ 1964 Olander.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,360,531 3/ 1964 France.

644,371 4/ 1937 Germany.

RTCHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. 

